Football is getting closer and closer! Which means we are on the edge of draft season. Some are already in the process of their drafts and need all the help and advice they can get. That is where the Ballers and the Ducers come into play. They had a head-to-head draft battle between the two teams on Thursday’s podcast.
The Ballers drafted from the fourth position while the Ducers drafted from the eighth slot. That kind of separation is a fun twist and is an excellent opportunity for all those who listen to learn.
This draft is a 12-team, 0.5-PPR draft. The rosters for this draft are 1 QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, 1 TE, 1 flex, and 4 bench.
To watch the entire episode on YouTube, click on the link below.
Also, if you want even more assistance with your draft prep, you need to sign up for, I know, shocker, The Ultimate Draft Kit. The UDK contains rankings, player profiles, and articles to digest as you prepare to dominate your draft season.
Now, let’s get into The Ballers vs. The Ducers Mock Draft!
Round 1
Ballers – Ja’marr Chase / Ducers – Breece Hall
After Tyreek Hill, CeeDee Lamb, and CMC went with the first three picks, the Ballers came onto the clock looking to get off to a hot start. In a three-WR draft, the value on high-end pass catchers elevates, so the decision fell between Amon’Ra St. Brown, Chase, and the two remaining RBs of Bijan Robinson or Breece Hall. The Ballers chose to go with Ja’Marr Chase because they couldn’t agree on the RB to go with, but all decided to chase it with Ja’Marr. After the Ballers, Bijan Robinson, Justin Jefferson, and Amon-Ra St. Brown came off the board. This situation left the Ducers wanting to get the last of the top three RBs this season, Breece Hall, to start their roster, setting them up for a look at a hero-RB style draft. The end of the first round saw a run on the RB position, and AJ Brown went off the board, perhaps validating the Ducers’ draft decision even more.
Round 2
Ballers – De’Von Achane / Ducers – Chris Olave
The second round kicked off with a few WRs and Etienne going off the board. The Ducers got to draft first of the crew this time, and they thought of taking Kyren to make the RB position one of strength, but in a WR roster, it is difficult to wait that long to get your first receiver. So they reached a bit and took Chris Olave as their WR1. Unfortunately for the Ballers, Kyren Williams didn’t fall to them in round two, but they were thrilled to take De’Von Achane and set up a massively explosive roster with Chase and Achane in the first two rounds. Travis Kelce went right after the Ballers, which is pretty early for him this season, but it shows the value he still holds.
Round 3
Ballers – Isiah Pacheco / Ducers – Deebo Samuel
The third round started with Josh Allen going off to team one. The Ballers had a hope to grab Nico Collins in the third round, but he went just before them, so the draft came back to them in the third, and they took Mike and Jason’s darling of the offseason. There was a conversation about Sam LaPorta and the positional advantage he represents for a roster, or Deebo and the value he would have been at the 3.04, but the draw of Pacheco was too much. The Ballers liked solidifying the RB position with Pacheco and then waiting for the WRs that could come back to them in the fourth round. Jalen Hurts, Sam LaPorta, and Mike Evans went next, leaving the Ducers with what felt like a simple decision. Deebo Samuel and Chris Olave are a very high upside start in a three-WR draft. The value they received on their picks has been excellent. Mahomes, Waddle, Rachaad White, and Lamar wrapped up the third round.
Round 4
Ballers – Tank Dell / Ducers – Trey McBride
The fourth round had a run on WRs to start, leaving the Ducers on the clock. The Ducers decided to go after one of the onesie positions, taking McBride to add a high-ceiling player on their roster again. The Ballers returned on the clock and needed a WR badly to start filling the other parts of the three WR positions. There were discussions of the TEs that were still on the board, and James Cook was an exciting option, but they decided to go ahead and take Tank Dell to start getting their WRs filled up.
Round 5
Ballers – Kenneth Walker / Ducers – Amari Cooper
The TEs the Ballers discussed in the fourth round were still available, but Andy, Mike, and Jason decided to go after the RB position again. They lost the three RBs they were the most excited about, but Mike has been much higher on Walker than the others. Andy and Jason felt they had taken the players they wanted and left the pick to Mike. Mike sees the high-upside opportunity that Walker represents and wants people to get on board with him. The other Ballers were leaning toward TE, and two of the following three picks were Kincaid and Andrews. Those picks left the Ducers thrilled to have already taken their TE. The board set them up to have a hard decision between going for some RBs or getting WR depth filled out. They decided to get Amari Cooper, which gave them a solid WR core of Olave, Deebo, and Cooper. Two more RBs help wrap up the fifth round, shrinking the options for the Ducers even more.
Round 6
Ballers – Calvin Ridley / Ducers – Jayden Reed
The Ducers are committed to the hero-RB build, kept the low-T option going, and took Jayden Reed. In a three-WR league, this build can set you up for success well because it gives you a solid core of WRs and keeps you prepared to attack the RB position as the season progresses, so you can try and grab the guys who are getting good opportunities. Shocking to no one is that Andy was very excited about Calvin Ridley being available, and with Mike and Jason on board, it was easy for the Ballers to get their third WR on the roster.
Round 7
Ballers – Rashee Rice / Ducers – Jordan Love
Going into the round for the Ballers, they wanted to go after a QB in either Kyler Murray or Joe Burrow. However, with Rashee Rice on the board, the plan shifted. He is on such a high-powered offense, and if he is the number-one target for Patrick Mahomes, his value in the seventh round is tremendous. The Ducers were interested in Mostert, Burrow, or Kyler at their pick, the three players taken right before them. They were, however, able to complete a stack with Jordan Love and Jayden Reed, making Owl Borland very happy.
Round 8
Ballers – Jaxon Smith-Njigba / Ducers – Javonte Williams
The time had come for the Ducers to go after an RB finally. The upside of Javonte Williams, mixed with his price in drafts, makes him a great value. With the level of the WRs that the Ducers have, it feels like a fine time to focus on their RB core. The Ballers felt really confident with three great RBs and four good WRs and decided to go after the possible upside of what Jaxon Smith-Njigba could represent. The conversation of them needing to take a TE or QB in their final picks was still there, but getting a WR that is as good as JSN at the discounted cost going into his sophomore season couldn’t be passed up. It helps to have the depth of their roster going into the season.
Round 9
Ballers – David Njoku / Ducers – Tyjae Spears
The Ballers needed to help fill out their starters and took the last TE they feel is in a good tier before punting the position to the end of the draft. Njoku has tremendous upside, as he showed last year, but the number of variables around him has forced him this far down in the draft. The Ducers continue to attack the RB position, and sadly, three of the RBs who are the flag-bearing options for the hero-RB build all went right before they got on the clock. They decided to take Spears for the upside of what he could be if Pollard is injured or continues to struggle like he did last year. Spears gives the upside that the Ducers needed to look for.
Round 10
Ballers – Jayden Daniels / Ducers – Chase Brown
The Ducers continued to go after the RB position, and again, it is an upside player with Chase Brown. It is of tremendous value when Zack Moss gets drafted at 7.12, and Chase Brown can be drafted in the 10th round while the team talks about how explosive he has been in training camp. The Ballers wanted to finish their starting positions, and Jason danced happily to take Daniels. The upside of what Daniels represents with his ability to run is so valuable when you can draft him in the 10th round. Outside of injury, it is improbable that Daniels finishes that low, so the celebration for the Ballers is warranted.
Round 11
Ballers – Rico Dowdle / Ducers – Khalil Shakir
The Ballers were happy to build depth for the RBs, and Dowdle does have some upside if Zeke were to be injured or is truly old and busted. The conversation about the available Buffalo WR options was interesting for the Ballers, but they needed RB depth. They decided to go after a player who is likely not a starter at the beginning of the season but could have massive upside on an excellent offense. The Ducers could have gone after another starting RB in Chuba Hubbard but went for the explosive upside of the Buffalo offense and what Shakir could represent for the roster.
Round 12
Ballers – Dontayvion Wicks / Ducers – Jaylen Wright
One last RB to help build depth for the Ducers is another explosive RB option. Wright has shown flashes of what made him interesting in the draft, and he could be a valuable piece for any fantasy team if Mostert or Achane were injured. Jason wanted to make the final pick for the Ballers draft, and who he wanted to take was Jahan Dotson; it would be an excellent late-round stack with Jayden Daniels, but the offseason has been very hot and cold. So, instead, Jason pivoted by scrolling down to find someone they would know in Week 1 if he should be cut or not, Dontayvion Wicks. He showed flashes of what he could do last season, but a lack of consistency could make it hard to start him in fantasy football.
